The Hills Are Alive: The Sound Of Music In Austria

The 1965 film The Sound of Music was based on the true story of Maria von Trapp and brought the tale of the von Trapp family to a global audience. The film was shot in and around Salzburg, Austria, and the city and its surroundings became famous worldwide as a result. The real-life von Trapp family also lived in Salzburg. The film's locations included the Mirabell Palace and Gardens, Residenzplatz Square, the Summer Riding School, the Horse Pond, St. Peter's Cemetery, and Nonnberg Abbey Convent. The climactic scene sees the von Trapps flee Salzburg under the cover of night and hike across the mountains to safety in Switzerland.

The Trapp family home

The villa has a rich history beyond its association with the Trapp family. After the family left, it was occupied by Heinrich Himmler, who built an underground bunker on the grounds. Following World War II, a religious group, the Catholic Missionaries of the Precious Blood, bought the property from the Von Trapps. Despite attempts at exorcism due to reports of Himmler's ghost haunting the property, the priests eventually managed to banish his presence by fixing the floorboards.

The villa was later rented out in the 1990s and converted into a hotel in 2008. Guests can stay in rooms that belonged to various members of the Von Trapp family, such as Martina's room (whose name was changed to Gretl in the film). The hotel retains much of its original, old-world charm, appealing to avid fans of "The Sound of Music". Guided tours of the villa are also available for those who prefer not to stay overnight.

While Villa Trapp was the actual residence of the Trapp family, the filming locations for the family home in "The Sound of Music" movie varied. The interior villa scenes were shot at Villa Leopoldskron, while the neighbouring lake was the setting for the scene where the children fall out of the boat. Castle Frohnburg was chosen for the exterior shots of the villa. The famous gazebo scenes were filmed at Hellbrunn Palace, which is also home to the original gazebo from the movie.

Salzburg's Old Town

The Old Town boasts a mix of architectural styles, including buildings from the Middle Ages, Romanesque, Baroque, and Renaissance periods. Notable landmarks include the bell tower of the Old City Hall (Altes Rathaus), the Cathedral, and the Residence Fountain on Residenzplatz Square. This square is a popular spot for concerts and live showings of sporting events, as well as Salzburg's Christmas market.

The area is easily accessible, with the train station conveniently located in the Old Town. Visitors can explore the area on foot or take advantage of the city's public transportation system.

Nazi occupation of Austria

The Sound of Music is a 1965 film adaptation of the true story of Maria von Trapp, directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film was shot in Salzburg, Austria, and its surrounding areas. The story is based on the von Trapp family, who lived in Salzburg and emigrated to the United States in 1939, where they became internationally successful as a singing family. The film's final scenes show the Trapp family escaping Nazi-occupied Austria.

Now, here is some detailed information on the Nazi occupation of Austria:

Austria was part of Nazi Germany from March 13, 1938, until April 27, 1945. This event is known as the Anschluss, which means "joining" or "connection" in German. The idea of unifying Austria and Germany into a "Greater Germany" gained support after World War I, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire fell and Austria was stripped of its imperial land. Many Austrians believed that their country was not economically viable without its former territories.

The Nazis, led by Adolf Hitler, rose to power in Germany in 1933. Hitler, himself an Austrian, had expressed his desire for a union between Austria and Germany in his earliest writings and speeches. He saw this unification as a way to incorporate all ethnic Germans into a "Greater Germany" and acquire Lebensraum ("living space") in Eastern Europe.

In the early 1930s, the Austrian Nazi Party was weak and divided, but by 1931, the bulk of Austrian Nazis recognized Hitler as their leader. Austrian Nazis gained more supporters as Hitler's popularity in Germany increased, and they launched a propaganda and terror campaign in 1933 to undermine the Austrian government. In July 1934, Austrian Nazis attempted a coup, assassinating Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. However, the coup failed, and thousands of Austrian Nazis fled to Germany, where they formed the Austrian Legion.

In 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg attempted to assert Austrian independence by calling for a plebiscite on March 13. Infuriated, Hitler threatened an invasion and demanded Schuschnigg's resignation. On March 11, Hitler gave the Austrian government a series of ultimatums, and within minutes of Schuschnigg's resignation that evening, Austrian Nazis took to the streets. On March 12, German troops crossed the Austrian border and were greeted by cheering Austrians. On March 13, Austrian Nazi Chancellor Arthur Seyss-Inquart, appointed by Hitler, signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany.

The Anschluss was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, and Austrians participated in the Nazification of their country. However, it marked a terrible turning point for Austria's Jewish population of about 200,000. They were subjected to public humiliation, discriminatory laws, and violence. Many decided to leave the country, and those who remained eventually became victims of the Holocaust.

The international community did not intervene to stop the Anschluss or punish Nazi Germany for violating international treaties. This act of appeasement allowed Hitler to continue his expansionist policies unchecked, leading to the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the start of World War II in 1939.

The von Trapp children

The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the von Trapp family, who lived in Salzburg, Austria. The story was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1959 and then into a film in 1965. The film was shot in and around Salzburg, bringing the city worldwide fame.

The von Trapp family was formed of former Austrian naval commander Georg von Trapp, his wife Maria, and their 10 children. At the time of his first wife Agathe Whitehead's death, Georg had seven children: Rupert, Agathe, Maria Franziska, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna, and Martina. He and Maria went on to have three more children: Rosmarie, Eleonore, and Johannes.

The family left Austria in 1938 after Adolf Hitler annexed the country. They settled in the United States in 1939 and earned money by performing and touring. They became known as the Trapp Family Singers and performed together until 1957.

The von Trapp grandchildren also formed a musical group, The von Trapp Children, in 2001. The group was made up of Sofia, Melanie, Amanda, and August (formerly Justin) von Trapp, and they recorded the folk songs taught to them by their grandfather, Werner von Trapp. They toured for over 15 years before disbanding in 2016.

The film's accuracy

The Sound of Music is based on the true story of Maria von Trapp and was filmed in and around Salzburg, Austria. The film's producers scouted the location as early as 1963, and filming began in the spring of 1964.

The movie is not entirely accurate historically, and the real-life story of the von Trapp family differs in several ways from the film. Firstly, the family crossed railroad tracks behind their villa to escape the Nazis, not the Alps as depicted in the film. In reality, they travelled to Italy, where Georg von Trapp had citizenship, not Switzerland. Secondly, the names and ages of the von Trapp children were changed for the film. The eldest child was not Liesl but Rupert, who was born in 1911. Thirdly, Maria worked as a tutor to one von Trapp child, not a governess to all of them. Fourthly, the von Trapps married over a decade before they fled Austria, not as the Nazis were taking control in 1938. Fifthly, three of the von Trapp children were omitted from the film due to the altered timeframe. Sixthly, the captain, Georg von Trapp, was portrayed as a detached disciplinarian in the film, but in reality, he was a warmer and more engaged father. Seventhly, music filled the von Trapp house before Maria's arrival, contrary to the film's depiction. Finally, the driving force behind the Trapp Family Singers, Father Franz Wasner, was left out of the film as the writers believed his presence would undercut Maria's role.

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